In worldwide vote, Wikimedia users select extraordinary picture of the year

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Photo by NASA, public domain/CC0.
First place: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. Photo by NASA, public domain/CC0.

 
Over the last several months, a world of Wikimedia volunteer users selected from the year’s “featured” pictures to determine this year’s picture of the year—the tenth since the competition started in 2006. With the votes tallied and validated, here are the top twelve. You can view the rest over on Commons.
 
Photo by Ayyoubsabawiki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Second place: the interior of Nasir ol Molk Mosque, located in Shiraz, Iran. Photo by Ayyoubsabawiki, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo by Ian Norman, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Third place, “Heavens Above Her”: the Milky Way, seen from Trona Pinnacles National Landmark, California. Photo by Ian Norman, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Photo by David Iliff, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fourth place: the Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin. Photo by David Iliff, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fifth place: sunset view from the back of the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Suðurland, Iceland. Photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo by NASA, public domain/CC0.
Sixth place: the Pillars of Creation, as seen from the Hubble Telescope in 2014. Photo by NASA, public domain/CC0.

Photo by Maxime Raynal, CC BY 2.0.
Seventh place: a storm hits Port-la-Nouvelle, in southern France. Photo by Maxime Raynal, CC BY 2.0.

Photo by Daisuke Tashiro, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Eighth place: a juvenile Macaca fuscata yawning. Photo by Daisuke Tashiro, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Photo by Heris Luiz Cordeiro Rocha, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Ninth place: sunrise with Paraná pines as seen at the Serra da Bocaina National Park, Brazil. Photo by Heris Luiz Cordeiro Rocha, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Photo by Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tenth place: Rådhuset metro station, Stockholm. Photo by Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Eleventh place: Las Lajas Sanctuary church, Ipiales, Colombia. Photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo by SAC Scott Lewis/Ministry of Defence (UK), OGL.
Twelfth place: a Second World War-era Spitfire over RAF Coningsby. Photo by SAC Scott Lewis/Ministry of Defence (UK), OGL.

Ed Erhart, Editorial Associate
Wikimedia Foundation

Archive notice: This is an archived post from blog.wikimedia.org, which operated under different editorial and content guidelines than Diff.

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Good progress in this world and everyone can cast their vote which channel they want to know about the same thing

Excellent! I am so grateful for the New Horizons team and for all they have done to allow us a glimpse of our ninth planet, our dear Pluto.

[…] Аутор: Ed Erhart, Wikimedia Foundation Blog […]

I like the evocative photo of sunrise in Brazil.

Very nice picture, I like the evocative photo of a storm hits Port-la-Nouvelle, in southern France.

Awesome pics!

Thank you for glimpses of beauty ’round the world!

Most amazing ever!

These are beautiful. Why is it that when you see photos that are considered to be “art” in a museum or gallery, they are usually incredibly boring or ghastly compared to these?

thank you! extraordinary!!

The pillars of creation photo just blew me away. Thank you for showcasing these magnificent photos.

Is it possible for me to buy a set of these pictures?
Carole Lax

All the photos are wonderful, but I especially loved the yawning macadamia fuscata. His hand looked almost human!

Susan, the photo of the muscaca fuscata inspired me to send to a friend with the caption: “Sunday’s sermon was a bit too long for Aunt Maude.” 🙂

Susan…I meant macaca fuscata…

Inspiring! I stared at the picture of Pluto in awe.
As for the juvenile Macaca, he is not like us, we are just like him, LOL.

Amazing photos. Thank you for sharing these marvelous things with Us. I want to go to Stockholm and Colombia to visit these amazing places….

What blows my mind is: Why is the macaque covering his mouth when he’s yawning?!! I’ve always considered this to be a purely learned human behavior – out of courtesy to others so a) they don’t have to look at your teeth, b) they don’t get to smell your possible halitosis when you exhale, c) you don’t accidentally spray them with saliva in case you squirt some out…these kinds of things – it’s the polite thing to do. Who would have taught this primate to do this… at such a young age … and WHY?? Otherwise, is it genetically hardwired?… Read more »

I haven’t really seen the Milky Way except as a youth some 60 years ago. Our continuing assault on the environment has essentially eliminated it from the sky here in Lincoln NE.

What wonderful eye candy! Aren’t we lucky.

Amazing works!

It isn’t just that they are beautiful photographs. The objects of the photographs, in the main, are one of a kind. The cathedral perched on the edge of a crevasse, the metro station hewn from living stone, the plane with its deadly but beautiful symmetry. Thanks to all the artisans, technicians and dreamers who brought photography to this state of excellence.

Awesome!

It’s only when you see picts like these that one can appreciate what a beautiful world we live in. It certainly inspires me to keep my camera handy for when I come across one of these ‘moments’. Well don to all.

Dear Whatme, just curious…one could infer from your tirade that had you known of the contest you would have submitted an entry. As you only expressed negative comments on the winning photos that covered a wide variety of subjects, what would be the principal object of your entry? BTW…this annual contest has been going on for ten years. Where have you been????

Well done Wiki. Picking a favorite is tougher than picking a favorite song from Led Zeppelin IV.

I just want to know who did that monkey’s nails – and what color was chosen?

Too bad the United States has no beautiful scenes that would haave made the list.

Amazing,evocative photos all! Thanks for alerting me to them.

I took an almost identical photo of the library at Trinity College. (lighting is probably different). Wow, fourth place!

If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys? Or Dolphins, or whatever…

WOWOW! SO Amazing! Cheers to all photographers. Thank you so much and PLEASE, keep it coming:o)

Beautiful – thank you for alerting me to these, I had no idea. Congratulations to all those who received recognition. Truly stunning pieces.
PS – Pat Lee – third place was in the US. 😉

Responding to Pat Lee, the gorgeous Heavens Above Her, shot was taken in the Mojave Desert in California! Still part of the U.S.! Many thanks for the alert. I will be watching.

Dear Pat Lee – the 3rd place photo was shot in CA

Beautiful photos. I was surprised to see the monkey puts it’s hand in front of its mouth when it yawns. Amazing.

6TH PLACE PHOTO LOOKS LIKE A VERTICAL PACK OF HOWLING WOLVES WONDERFUL

Our planet is so stunningly beautiful!!!
Thanks to all photographers!!

David — It’s a common misconception that humans came from monkeys. We didn’t. Humans and monkeys came from the same ancestor and branched off (evolved) into two separate species.

Though they are all breathtaking, #5 is my favorite.

Spectacular! Breathtaking!

SOME INCREDIBLE PICTURES.SOME ARE SO BRILLIENT that they don’t look real.

Makes me smile…

Beautiful photography work. Beautiful pictures. Thank you all for taking and sharing these awesome pictures.

This is such phenomenal photography. I can only sit in awe and gape at these incredible photographs! Thank you!!

This gallery of photographs is another beacon of Wikipedia’s global – universal – brilliance.
As one of the most important and valuable gifts created by contemporary humans for global good, Wikipedia’s gem (no-charge and no advertising!!) shall receive another financial gift of thankful support from our family this year.
If Wikipedia has a similar value for you, please continue (or begin) financially helping it continue this ever-richer gift to our lives. Together we will keep Wikipedia’s unique values vitally alive!
Deb Meny

I did not realize you could see the milky way w/o a telescope. I am a little higher than the valley of Phoenix, so maybe I will go out and try to see it myself. Also less light where I live.

Awesome pictures, enjoyed them all, especially yawning Macaca, don’t worry where I came
From, God is the creator.

Yes. Let us consider the macaca.

this is the difference between seeeeeeeeing what you photograph and photographing what you see—think about it

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